Jacking apparatus for motor-cars



G. BOWMAN. JACKING APPARATUS FOR MOTOR CARS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. 1918.

1 3 8 Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

F r I 4 SHEETS-SHEET l- V IIIII'III I G. BOWMAN. JACKI NG APPARATUS F OR MOTOR CA RS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. I918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- -LLJ-LLL G. BOWMAN. JACKING APPARATUS FOR MOTOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. I918.

Patehted Feb. 15, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

G. BOWMAN. JACKING APPARATUS FOR MOTOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 191a.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE BOWMAN,

or BELFAST, IRELAND, ASSIGNOR To B. e. n. JACK COMPANY, or

' BELFAST, IRELAND.

JACKING APPARATUS FOR MOTOR-CARS.

Patented. Feb. 15, 1921.

Application filed May e, 1918. Serial No. 232,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, GEORGE BOWMAN, of Ballygomartin Road, Belfast, Ireland, a subjectof the King of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jacking Apparatus for Motor-Cars, of which the following is a specification. i 1 This invention relates to the jacking of motor cars and it consists in providing liquid pressure jacking apparatus which-can be operated by, or from, the engine, and be controlled from the drivers seat, or elsewhere, the apparatus being so constructed and arranged that one or more of the wheels of the car can, as desired, be jackedup quickly and with a minimum of labor. The liquid used may be water or oil, preferably.-- I use oil, as it is not liable to freeze although I, hereinafter, refer to the jacks as hy- I provide four jacks, one for each wheel and eachsecured to a bracket on the axle beam or casing so as to depend therefrom,

the jacks being suitably connected with, and

supplied with liquid under pressure from a pump adapted to receive the liquid from a tank orchamber on the car the pump being driven by cam, or other "gear, from the engine shaft. A suitable drive' for the pumpbe obtained by providing a worm on the clutch shaft of the motor car and a worm wheel on the pump shaft, the wormwheel being so supported that it can be moved clear of the worm on the clutch shaft when the pump is not to be operated and moved into mesh with the worm onthe plutch shaft when it is to be operated, a suitable foot lever, or equivalent, being providedfor this purpose. This arrangement gives a cheap and effective. disconnectible drive without the use of clutches and the like.

I I may also employ a suitable distributing device containing ports corresponding to the number of jacks and opening into a common chamber or connecting pipe containing liquid under pressure'from the pump, the outlet branch from each port being'connected to its corresponding jackthrough suitable tubing having a flexible portion, which allows for the rise and fall of the axle.

In addition to the provision of means for operating the pump by engine power, I may rovide for operating'the' pump by hand. S uch an arrangement would be useful when it is not convenient to start the engine before jacking up the car.

p A release or return valve is provided.

which, when opened, allows the spent liquid to return to the tank. A strong spiral spring, or equivalent together with the Weight of the car, returns the ram or plunger of each jack.

An important feature of the invention is that no liquid is lost, the spent liquid being returned to the sourceof supply.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood I have hereunto appended explanatory drawings showing, by way of illustration or example, the application of my invention to a motor chassis and also showing details of the apparatus.

Figure 1 is a general. diagrammatic view of a vehicle showing the disposition of the jacks, pump and liquid tank.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one of the hydraulic jacks.

This view also shows the jack supporting bracket carried on the I front axle beam.

Fig. '3 is a view, partly; in section, of a eifecting the supply of liquid under'pressure to the jacks. 1

Fig; 4' is a plan view, corresponding to Fig. 3, ofthe pump and driving gear.

.pump and pump operating'gear suitable for Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 00, 00, Fig. 3.

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional and plan views of a form of distributer or controller for the supply of the liquid to any jack as required. In the example shown in the drawings there are four jacks a, b, c, at, one for-each wheel. Each jack is secured to a bracket 6 carried, in the case of the front wheels, on

the axle beam f so as to depend therefrom.

Each jack comprises an outer tubular casing i y and inner ramy, shown at Fig. 2, and fitted with a cup leather g at its top with an end piece or shoe h at bottom. The jack casing is sultably connected with, and supplied with liquid under pressure from a pump 70 adapted to draw the liquid, for example, 'o1l,from a tank Z, the pump 70 (see Figs. 3, 4 and 5) being driven by cam. or other gear,-from the en: gine shaft. A simple and convenient drive for the pumpk is shown at Figs. 3 and 4 the drive being obtained by means of a worm m on the clutch shaft 2% of the motor car and a worm wheel 0 on the pump shaft p with preferably tubular as four ports 14) corresponding to the number 'of jacks. The plug member 112" can be i on the top of the plug to the rise and fall of the axle.

ter can be turned to and so supply liquid universal joints 2 and p between the driving cam g and the worm wheel 0. The shaft 1) is carried by a fork 1" whose stem 1' can move vertically in a guide 1' the stem being capable of being raised or lowered, so that the wheel can be raised clear of the worm m when the pump is is not to operate and lowered into mesh with the worm m when it is to operate, a suitable foot lever 8, or equivalent, operating against a spring s being provided for the purpose. This arrangement gives a cheap and effective drive without the use of clutches and the like. When the shaft 72 is lowered so that the wheels m 0, intermesh, the action of the engine rotates the shafts n and p and the ram 9 reciprocates the pump .plunger 71: against the action of the spring which returns the plunger.

The pump draws oil from the reservoir Z by the pipe k? and non-return valve 6'' (see Fig. 5) and then forces it. through the non-return valve t, to the pipe k which communicates with the jacks. t is an automatic relief valve which is loaded by a spring t the spring being adjustable to determine the pressure at which the valve shall open, by means of a screw plug-25". When the pressure effected by the pump exceeds the amount predetermined by the adjustment of the spring 15 oil passes through the automatic relief valve t and is returned by the port t and pipe connection to the reservoir Z.

A suitable distributing device to plying the liquid to any jack, is-shown at Figs. 6 and 7 and for supas required, 11: contains turned so that its port 20 may communicate with any one of the casing ports 20 (of which there would be one for each jack) to cause same to be put in communication with the sup-ply pipes to 70 leading-from the pump k and, at such times, all the other ports would be closed. Each supply port w in the casing to is connected to its cor responding jack through suitable tubing aving a flexible portion which allows for The spring w 'keeps the plug member 10 on its seat when there is no pressure behind it. The space '20 between the plug member w and the non-moving part w is provided to allow'the liquid to press the member w on to its seat and thereby prevent leakage.'

The distributer could be placed in any convenient position to the drivers hand, preferably on the dash board, and, at its center, it may have a hand'lever w pivoted and acted on by spring w. By this lever the plug distribuerate the desired jack. The lever is locked 'caused to engz'ige the recess 10 2 0 are closed.

, normal open the desired port under pressure to op-.

1 ,3es,ess

and the plug held in position (to suit one of the ports 0.0 by the engagement of the lever with one or other of the corresponding recesses 4'0 When the lever 10'' is all the ports By this arrangement the jacks can be actuated, one at a time, till all four are actuated, if it is desired to bodily lift the whole car. When it is desired to return a jack to the out of action or, position, this is done (the pump being stopped) by means of a spring a. (Fig. 2). which is compressed by the liquid pressure during the lowering of the jack and which. when the plug '20 isfturncd to the proper position and the release valvev is opened returns the jack to its up position and also returns the liquid from the jack to the supply tank Z. For convenience the release valve 41 may be positioned on the 'return pipe inleading to the tank Z.

With this {improved apparatus itwill be seen that there is provideda closed circulating system for the liquid which operates thejacks whereby all of the spent liquid is not only preserved, but is returned to the tank to beused-over and over again, and at the same time an absolute control of the system is maintained. Furthermore, the entire arrangement is simple and compact and does not in any way spoil.the appearance of the motor car, and also gives the greatest possible convenience and saving in labor I may provide the bottom of the jacks with ball or roller casters, or equivalent, whereby the car can be turned or wheeled when jacked up ofi its wheels.

Having now-fully described my invention what I claim and desire to Secure by Letters Patent is Y 1. A motor vehicle having aplurality of liquid operated and spring retracted jacks, a pump on the vehicle connected with the jacks andjoperable by the motor of the vehicle through the medium of disconnectible gears, means for connecting and disconnecting the gears, a single device under hand control'for distributing liquid to any jack as desired, a source of liquid supply on the vehicle and connected with the pump, and pressure relieving means for the jacks.

2. A motor vehicle having a'plurality of oiloperated jacks, a reciprocating pump on the vehicle, a cam shaft, a cam on the shaft driving the pump in one direction, a spring driving the pump in the opposite direction,

a Worm gear on the cam shaft, means for raising and lowering the cam shaft, a worm may be opdriving said worm gear, an oil tank on the vehicle and connected with the pump, and pressure relieving means for the jacks.

3. A'motor vehicle having a plurality of liquid operated jacks, a pump on the vehicle connected with the jacks and operable by the motor of the vehicle through the medium of foot operated disconnectible gear, means for also operating the pump by hand, means for connecting and disconnecting the gear, a source of liquid supply on the vehicle and connected with the pump, and means operating automatically to relieve the fluid pressure in the jacks, said means consisting of a SPIiIlgLCOIltIOllGd valve on the pump outlet. I

4, A motor vehicle having a plurality of liquid operated jacks, a pump on the vehicle connected with the jacks and operable by the motor of the vehicle, a -source of liquid supply on the vehicle and connectedv with the pump, said pump having inlet and outlet valves and surmounting the outlet valve and communicating therewith a relief valve with outlet in direct communication with the source of liquid supply the pump forcing liquid to a distributing device comprising a rotatable plug with axial and radial ports therein and a casing with ports leading to each of the jacks.

5. A motor vehicle having a plurality of liquid operated jacks, a pump on the vehicle connected with the jacks and operable by the motor of the vehicle, a source of liquid supply on the vehicle and connected with the pump, said pump having inlet and outlet valves and surmounting the outlet valve and communicating therewith a relief valve with outlet in direct communicamade in two parts the one fixed and the other movable with spring interposed between the parts and a casing with ports leading to each of the jacks.

6. A motor vehicle having a plurality of liquid operated jacks, a pump on the vehicle connected with the jacks and operable by the motor of the vehicle, a source of liquid supply on the vehicle and connected with the ump, said pump having inlet and outlet va ves and surmounting the outlet valve and communicating therewith a relief valve with outlet in direct communication with the source of liquid supply the pump forcing liquid to a distributing device comprising a rotatable plug with axial and radial ports therein, spring and lever catch means for automatically locking the plug in position and a casing with ports leading to each of thejacks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- GEORGE BOWMAN.

Witnesses ANDREW HAMILTON, CLAUDE A. JOHNSON. 

